Journal of a Black Teacher

By Don Allen for Journal of A Black Teacher The First Amendment has always been America's shield and its sword. But recently, its shield has begun to bend at the pretense of selective outrage, and its sword is only brought out when it is convenient to do so. Take two recent controversies. Jimmy Kimmel is a satirist who has pushed the boundaries of his comedy and has been canceled, losing his late-night show. What did he do to become intolerable? Did he tell a joke a little bit too close to home? Or was it merely that when comedy attacks the wrong power structure, it shifts from being simply entertainment to being seen as a "threat"? While the why is relevant, what really hits is the chilling effect: comedians are left wondering whether being funny is now a liability. At the same time, an employee of Hennepin County joked about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on her Facebook page and went further to issue a dangerous call to violence. In my opinion, her lan...

(Photo: Fairfield University ) The following question is presented for an academic response. While the situation might be real in some school districts, this example was created for academic leadership to think, then write about the direction of crisis communication they would use in these cases.   Case Study #1 Todd is taking an Honors World History class at Sherburne High School in Central Minnesota. Todd's parents were shocked to find that his history book has a chapter called "The Rise of Islam in the Middle East." They were horrified to see that a section of the chapter had the title "The Elements of Islamic Belief."  They immediately called you - the principal – with a threat to sue the school board, superintendent, and you personally "for teaching Muslimism." The district superintendent is golfing with the school's attorney this afternoon, and neither can be reached. Based on this week’s readings, how will you respond to the parents’ complai...